Room air circulating system



June 1, 1965 B. CONES 3,186,328

ROOM AIR GIRCULATING SYSTEM Filed April. 17, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet l L l-i i HNVENTEIR EEN CEI N85 44 7 Q iqlizw my I ATTORNEY June 1, 1965 B. CONES 3,186,328

ROOM AIR QIRCULATING SYSTEM Filed April l'7, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IFIEr: 2

HNVENTEI'R BEN EUNES JEY WQM ATTURNEY June 1, 1965 B, CQNES 3,186,328

ROOM AIR CIRCULATING SYSTEM Filed April 17, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 ENVENTUR BEN CU N ES .JBY Al wafza iiw ATTUF?NEY United States Patent ROQM AIR CIRCULATING SYSTEM Ben Cones, 6635 E. Washington St, Indianapolis, Ind. Filed Apr. 17, 1963, Ser. No. 273,671 6 Clm'ms. (Cl. 98-38) This invention is applied to a heating and ventilating system for a room wherein there is normally supplied to the system a flow of air through a duct or pipe originating from a source outside of the room and this flow of air is entered into a natural draft flue which has an extent from the floor to the ceiling approximately 'of the room and wherein the fiue has an intake opening adjacent the floor and a discharge opening adjacent the ceiling of the room, and it is the purpose of the invention to intermix air rising in the flue With air from the external source in very definite proportions and furthermore to insure that there is a circulation of air through the flue taken from the room.

A more or less standard specification for ventilating a school room is that there will be two-thirds of the air in the room recirculated through the flue and an added external air supply amounting to one-third to make up the complete room air. Further it is required that there be a change of the room air eight times in each hour. Also it is required that there be no perceptible blast of air across or within the room.

A further primary purpose of the invention is to provide means for insuring the circulation of the room air and the addition of the one-third air supply automatically without having to depend upon an attendant to see that such circulation is being maintained throughout the occupancy of the room at least. I

' A still further important purpose of the invention is to provide an extremely simple means for accomplishing the result above indicated. This of course tends to reduce the cost of manufacture and installation.

These and many other purposes and objects of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a room flue or stack to which the invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a view on a greatly enlarged scale in section of a stack head on the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale from the rear of the head portion of the flue with the invention applied thereto;

FIG. 4 is a view in fragmentary form of the front of the head portion as illustrated in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a detail in vertical section on an enlarged scale on the line 5 5 in FIG. 4. e

The stack generally designated by the numeral 16 extends normally from the floor to near the ceiling of a room and in standard practice has an air inlet opening 11 at the floor level and an upper outlet opening 12 slightly below the ceiling.

The upper end of the stack 10, according to the present invention, is provided with a head 14 which is rectangular in horizontal cross-section and has a front discharge portion designated by the numeral 15 extending from the front wall 16 of the head 14. The extension 15 has an 7 external opening designated generally by the numeral 17.

' There is a top wall 18 which extends at right angles from the rear wall 19, this top wall 18 being carried forwardly to form the top marginal portion of the head opening 17. It is important that the angle between the top 18 and the back wall 19 be maintained at approximately ninety degrees. In other words there is no bafiie or fill in of this corner designated by the numeral 20. The two opposite 7 3,186,328 Patented June 1, 1965 sides designated by the numerals 21 and 22 respectively are parallel one with the other.

The head 14 has a lower intake opening 43, the margin of which opening is shown telescoping within the margin of the stack opening 12 rather than having the head 14 being an integral part of the stack, so as to permit easier manufacturing and installation.

The lower margin of the opening 17 is defined by a short length of the floor 23 extending forwardly from an upwardly and outwardly sloping panel 24 in turn connecting with the top of the wall 16. The slope of this panel 24 is approximately 45 degrees from the horizontal.

The horizontal width of the head 14 will depend of course on the horizontal length of the opening 12 in the stack, and this in turn depends upon the size of the room in which the stack 10 serves. The opening 12 in the stack and likewise the opening 17 in the head 14 will be substantially twenty inches in horizontal length for a forty pupil size room. For such a size room, there will be two nozzles designated generally by the numerals 25 and 26, one nozzle being identical in conformation and dimensions with the other. In regard to the nozzles 25' and 26, reference is made to my prior Patent No. 2,654,528, issued October 6, 1953, which illustrates and describes these nozzles. It is suflicient for the purposes herein to state that each nozzle 25 has a frusto-conical inlet portion 27 over the base end of which is mounted a substantially semi-spherical cap 28 which has a discharge nozzle opening 29. The inlet opening 36 in the member 27 is axially aligned with the discharge opening 2, the opening 29 being slightly smaller than the opening 30. As stated in the prior patent, in a nozzle having a major diameter of substantially five inches, a cone actual length of four and one-half inches and a semi-spherical axial length plus the nozzle length of three and one-half inches, the inlet opening 30 would have a diameter of fifteen-sixteenths of one inch and the diameter of the discharge nozzle opening would be seven-eighths of one inch. These figures as indicated in the prior patent are given for proportions only and not as limiting factors of the size of the nozzles 25 and 26 since those dimensions may be varied to meet the conditions of air flows required. These nozzles 25 and 26 are mounted respectively axially of air duct cylindrical nipples 31 and 32 respectively. Each of these nipples 31 and 32 are fixed over openings through the back wall 19 near the lower end of the head 14, and these nipples 31 and 32 are axially inclined upwardly within the head 14 each at an angle of substantially 30 degrees from the horizontal. The inner terminal edges 33 of each of these nipples are respectively in planes at right angles to the axis of the nipples, that is in planes 30 degrees inclined from the vertical.

Also the lengths of these nipples are such that the upper sides 34 thereof are approximately one and fiveeighths inches, that is the topside of the nipples extend into the head 14 by a very short length as measured from the topsides.

The nozzles 25 and 26 are supported from the respective nipples 31 and 32 by a plurality of rod-like legs 35 which are fixed to the side wall 27 of the frustoconical portion of the nozzles, and extend to within the nipples and have outturned feet 36 extending through the wall of the nipples. These legs 35 have a predetermined length to space the nozzles 25 and 26 axially of the nipples 31 and 32, and also to have the nozzle inlet 30 in each instance entering into the open end by a dis tance of substantially one-half an inch measured on the axis. The internal diameter of the nipples 31 and 32 (at right angles to'the axis) is substantially four inches. With these proportions, the nozzles are spaced to provide an annular opening around the inlet ends of the nozzles and between those ends and the internal faces of the walls of the nipples, as best indicated in FIG. 2.

As above indicated, for a forty pupil room, the upper opening 17 will be approximately twenty inches wide, and this opening will be twelve inches in height. In further location of the nozzles 25 and 26, they should be so located that a horizonal line extending into the head 14 from the level of the marginal wall 23 will intersect the axis of the nozzles 25 and 26 at their discharge openings 29, that is this line will enter the discharge openings 29 exactly centrally thereof. Referring to FIG. 2, the axis of the nozzle 25 is indicated by the line 38-39 and the horizontal line is indicated by the line 40-41, the point 41 of this line being at the intersection with the axis 3839.

On the rear wall of the head 14 there is provided, in the present showing, a rectangular flange 42 which extends rearwardly a short distance. In this showing, this flange 42 is shown as being formed from angle bars. The purpose of this flange 42 is to provide a flange over which an external air source supply duct 13 may fit. In other words, the fresh supply of air will enter the head 14 through the two nipples 31 and 32. This entering air will have a static pressure of approximately three quarters of one inch to one inch created by any suitable means, such as by a blower discharging into the duct 13, in the usual manner well known to those versed in the heating and ventilating art.

There will of course be a means for maintaining the temperature of the air in the room at a predetermined degree, this means, not entering into the invention per se, is not shown. In any event, the air from the room, as above indicated, will enter the stack through the lower opening 11 and rise through the stack 10 to discharge through the opening 12. The rate of this movement of air through the stack 10 will be controlled by the action of the nozzles 25 and 26 in respect to the fresh supply of air entering the head 14 through the nipples 31 and 32. There will be air entering the head 14 from the open end 33 of each of the nipples 31 and 32, being deflected generally outwardly into the head 14. Air also supplied to the nipples 31 and 32 'will enter the nozzles 25 and 26 through their openings 30 and discharge through their outlet openings 29. This discharge from the openings 29 will have a higher velocity than that entering the head from around the outside of the nozzle lower or frusto-conical portion 27. The axis of the nozzles 25 and 26 being inclined upwardly at the approximate angles of 30 degrees will cause this jet of air from the openings 29 to be directed toward the head opening 17. This action sets up an air ejection action tending to increase the velocity of rising air in the stack 10 in turn inducing a volume of air to enter the lower opening 11 and consequently to leave the upper opening 12. The temperature of the fresh air or air from the external source will normally range from 50 to 60 degrees and therefore have a tempering effect on the air discharging through the head opening 17 into the room. Thus the air rising in the stack 10 will enter the head 14 through its lower opening 43, FIG. 2. Where the room size is much less than that above indicated, such as approximately one-half in volume, the opening 12 and the corresponding opening 17 will be reduced in size, and only one nozzle 25 or 26 will be employed. v

The point 41, in the present showing of the invention, is located to be approximately eight inches horizontally from the back wall 19, whereby, in a sixteen inch stack, the distance between the walls 16 and 19 would position the point 41 'midway between those walls. The intersection of the panel 24 with the wall 16 is approximately two inches below the line 40 11. Within the dimensions herein given as but one example, the structure gives excellent results.

A peculiar action is set up, in that the best performance of this circulation of air is had when the designated corner 20 is maintained at approximately degrees. To round out that corner or provide a sloping battle therein will defeat the operation just explained.

In the event that the room temperature rises unduly, such as would be the case with a higher outside temperature, a damper 45 is provided over an opening 46 in the wall 19, from the duct 13 this opening 46 being herein shown in the one form as being rectangular in shape. This damper is hinged on an axis 4'7 of a hinge 48 so mounted that the damper 45 may open inwardly of the head 14. A lever 49 extends from the lower portion of the damper 45 outwardly and rearwardly from near the lower edge portion of the opening 46, and has a rod 50 fixed to a lower end portion thereof to extend back into the head 14 and be fixed to an operating thermostatic member 57 which is fixedly mounted on a bracket 58 in turn attached to the wall 19. Since the operating member 57 is a standard, commercially obtainable unit, the details thereof are not illustrated or described. It is suflicient to state that when the temperature inside of the head 14 rises to above a fixed, predetermined degree, the member 57 will respond to the temperature above the predetermined amount and open the damper 45 in varying amount depending upon the actual coverage of temperature. Likewise the unit 57 will operate to close the damper 45 upon the internal head temperature dropping below that predetermined degree.

When this damper 45 opens, additional cooler air is allowed to enter, the head 14, and intermix with the air traveling through the head 14 and thus tend to reduce the resultant air temperature discharging through the opening 17.

Therefore, his to be noted that I have produced a simple structure giving a definite control of the rate of interchange as well as recirculation of air in a room in the absence of moving parts within the stack with the exception of the cooling damper, and while I have illustrated the invention in the one particular form and described that particular form herein, obviously structural variations may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise for beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims;

I claim: 1. In a room ventilating system, the combination with a vertically disposed stack having a lower room air inlet and an upper air discharging outlet; of a head on said stack;

said head having top, back and side walls, a bottom inlet connected to said stack upper outlet; a back wall fresh air intake opening, and an air discharge outlet from between said walls;

a fresh air. inlet nipple;

means mounting said nozzle over said intake opening in said back wall;

said nipplebeing axially inclined upwardly from that intake opening, and directed toward said head discharge opening, the nipple opening into the head;

anozzle; r

means mounting said nozzle on said nipple opening and havingits axis extending diagonally toward said head outlet;

said nozzle having a hollow frusto-conical portion with a smaller diameter end entering said nipple opening and defining an annular space therebetween, the smaller diameter end having an intake opening therethrough, and having a larger'diameter end Within said head and spaced from said nipple; and said nozzle further having a hollow, semi-spherical portion turned and closing over said major diameter of, and having a discharge opening axially aligned with the said frusto-conical portion intake opening.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which the center of said nozzle outlet opening is intersected by a horizontal line drawn from the bottom of said head outlet.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which said head top and back intersect substantially at a ninety degree angle; and

said top extends substantially horizontally from the top margin of said head outlet.

4. The structure of claim 1, in which there is an auxiliary inlet for cool air from outside the room;

said auxiliary inlet being through an opening in said back adjacent said nipple;

a damper hingedly carried by the back and normally closing said auxiliary opening; and

means responsive to change of temperature within the head and interconnected with said damper, opening the damper upon a predetermined increase and closing it upon decrease in said temperature.

5. The structure of claim 1, in which said nipple axis is substantially inclined thirty degrees upwardly from the horizontal; and

said nipple having an inner internal edge in a plane substantially ninety degrees to the nipple axis.

6. The structure of claim 5, in which said nipple extends from said head back by its uppermost Side a distance of approximately one and three-quarters of an inch; and

said nozzle discharge opening being of less diameter than that of the nozzle intake opening.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,613,587 10/52 MacCracken 98-38 2,654,528 10/53 Cones 98-38X 20 ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A ROOM VENTILATING SYSTEM, THE COMBINATION WITH A VERTICALLY DISPOSED STACK HAVING A LOWER ROOM AIR INLET AND AN UPPER AIR DISCHARGING OUTLET, OF A HEAD ON SAID STACK; SAID HEAD HAVING TOP, BACK AND SIDE WALLS, A BOTTOM INLET CONNECTED TO SAID STACK UPPER OUTLET; A BACK WALL FRESH AIR INTAKE OPENING, AND AN AIR DISCHARGE OUTLET FROM BETWEEN SAID WALLS; A FRESH AIR INLET NIPPLE; MEANS MOUNTING SAID NOZZLE OVER SAID INTAKE OPENING IN SAID BACK WALL; SAID NIPPLE BEING AXIALY INCLINED UPWARDLY FROM THAT INTAKE OPENING, AND DIRECTED TOWARD SAID HEAD DISCHARGE OPENING, THE NIPPLE OPENING INTO THE HEAD; A NOZZLE; MEANS MOUNSTING SAID NOZZLE ON SAID NIPPLE OPENING AND HAVING ITS AXIS EXTENDING DIAGONALLY TOWARD SAID HEAD OUTLET; SAID NOZZLE HAVING A HOLLOW FRUSTO-CONICAL PORTION WITH A SMALLER DIAMETER END ENTERING SAID NIPPLE OPENING AND DEFINING AN ANNULAR SPACE THEREBETWEEN, THE SMALLER DIAMETER END HAVING AN INTAKE 